Welcome Back, Kitchen Wizards!
Guess who’s back in the Culinary Arts Department at 红豆视频? That鈥檚 right鈥攐ur students! The kitchen labs are buzzing again, and we couldn鈥檛 be happier. There鈥檚 something magical about sharing cultures, rituals, and, of course, breaking bread together. It鈥檚 like a giant culinary hug. We鈥檙e thrilled to dive into another delicious year with all of you.

Summer Shenanigans
Our students didn鈥檛 just spend summer lounging鈥攖hey were out in the Twin Cities, rubbing elbows with the best chefs, bakers, and caterers. They鈥檝e come back with sharper knives and even sharper skills, ready to rock the kitchen! Locations included The Emerald Lounge, Restaurant Alma, and Okome House, just to name a few. We can鈥檛 wait to see how their skills have grown!

But the students weren鈥檛 the only ones busy. Our chef instructors had their own summer adventures:

Chef Ryan Siess was flexing his pastry muscles at the Stillwater Farmers鈥� Market with his booth, Xssant. If you haven鈥檛 tried his croissants, you鈥檙e missing out on a buttery slice of heaven. We鈥檙e thrilled to have him join our faculty this yea鈥攈is artisan viennoiseries are going to inspire a whole new level of pastry passion in our students. Welcome, Chef Ryan.

Chef Jason Ross worked hard in his home kitchen to up his sourdough game. Just look at that perfect rye! He also spent some time working on pickles and fermentations too. Chef took a trip to Maine, and said it was a lot of fun 鈥渞esearching鈥� the perfect lobster roll sandwich!

Chef Nathan Sartain did the noble work of expanding his Italian wine knowledge. Valpolicella Ripasso and Amarone were the stars of his summer, and he鈥檚 now a certified expert in enjoying the finer things in life. He鈥檒l be sharing his vino wisdom with our third-semester students in the Sensory Evaluation and Wine Pairing class, where they鈥檒l learn about enology, viticulture, and the psychology of flavor. Yes, it鈥檚 a tough job, but someone has to taste all that wine!

Chef Pierre Rabbia was a culinary Pied Piper, leading the next generation at our Summer Culinary Kids Day Camps. But that鈥檚 not all鈥攚hen he wasn鈥檛 in the kitchen, he was on the soccer field, refereeing games across the metro, including international matches at the USA Cup in Blaine. Rumor has it he dreams of becoming a professional ref. If you don鈥檛 find him in the kitchen, just listen for the whistle鈥攈e might be blowing it on the pitch! Chef Pierre鈥檚 soccer skills keep him fit and ready to tackle any culinary challenge.

Chef Sara Johannes decided one master鈥檚 degree wasn鈥檛 enough, so she鈥檚 diving into an MBA in Hospitality Management from Southwest Minnesota State University. This coursework is setting the stage for an exciting new certificate program that 红豆视频 will be offering in the future. She also attended the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education and was a featured instructor at the National Restaurant Association鈥檚 Educational Foundation鈥檚 PROSTART Professional Development in New Orleans, LA. ProStart is a professional restaurant skills curriculum used by more than 2,100 schools across the country, and Chef Sara has been instrumental in revamping it. Who knew free time could be so productive?

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Looking Ahead

As we kick off the new school year, we鈥檙e missing our friend and colleague, Chef Sean Jones. His presence was larger than life, and the kitchens just aren鈥檛 the same without his booming voice. For 17 years, Chef Sean was the heart and soul of our first-semester lab, and his absence is deeply felt. But his legacy lives on. As Chef Nathan puts it, we鈥檙e driven to continue in service to our SPC CULA community, honoring Chef Jones every step of the way.

We鈥檒l be hosting a multi-course Harvest Luncheon on Thursday, September 5th, celebrating with produce from Chef Sean鈥檚 garden outside the City View Grille. It will be a lovely dining experience outdoors on the verandah, featuring the herbs and produce from the Culinary Garden. Please email sara.johannes@saintpaul.edu for reservations. Seating is limited.

Here鈥檚 to a year full of flavors, fun, and a little bit of mischief. Let鈥檚 get cooking!